Vikings Urged to Trade 2024 Starter
In eight weeks, Minnesota Vikings training camp will kick off, and soon after, folks will gain clarity on the shape of the depth chart.
The Vikings don’t have too many realistic players to trade away this summer, but one man could apparently fit the criteria.
Fans are quite excited about the 2025 Vikings, enjoying the current roster and pivot to young passer J.J. McCarthy.
But like every summer, a player or two could be on the trade block, and according to Bleacher Report, that man this go-round for Minnesota is offensive lineman Blake Brandel.
Bleacher Report Names Blake Brandel as Minnesota’s Main Trade Candidate
BR’s Gary Davenport unearthed one player from each NFL team who could be traded this summer, and Brandel got the unfortunate nomination for Minnesota.
“Not long after the Minnesota Vikings took Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters what he envisioned the Vikings offensive line looking like in 2025,” Davenport explained.
“Now, there are some obstacles to that “dream” O-Line coming to fruition — Darrisaw is rehabbing an ACL tear, while Fries missed most of last season after breaking his leg. But the latter is nearing a return, and once he does Blake Brandel’s days in the starting lineup are all but certainly over.”
Brandel started all 17 games last year, his first campaign as a full-time starter, and logged a 55.2 Pro Football Focus score, which is less than desirable.
Davenport added, “There’s a reason the Vikings wanted an upgrade at the position—in 1,117 snaps last year per PFF, Brandel surrendered seven sacks, was flagged 11 times and barely cracked the top 100 guards in overall grade.”
“But Brandel has experience as both a guard and tackle and is under contract through 2026 at a reasonable cost. That sort of offensive line depth has value, and if another team suffers injuries in training camp, the Vikings could decide they’d rather have the trade return than the depth he provides.”
What Could Minnesota Get in Return?
While the idea of trading Brandel isn’t dumb or silly, one must question the worth of the deal.
A guard-needy team would likely send a 6th- or 7th-Round draft pick to Minnesota for Brandel. Late-round picks rarely turn into anything, outside of a few exceptions by the percentages, so the return won’t set the world on fire.
It would be wild for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to fetch draft capital better than a 5th- or 6th-Rounder for Brandel.
Is Depth Worth It to Keep Brandel?
If Minnesota were to grab a 6th- or 7th-Round selection for Brandel, one must wonder if the price is worthwhile. Brandel played quite well early in 2024 with Christian Darrisaw at his side, but when Darrisaw tore his ACL, Brandel’s performance diminished rather substantially.
Minnesota has spent years searching for wise offensive guard solutions, finally achieving the feat this offseason with the free-agent signing of Will Fries and draft selection of Donovan Jackson.
Should Minnesota really turn around and offload offensive line depth the moment it created its best starting offensive line in 15 years?
Other Trade Candidates
Minnesota actually doesn’t have too many players it could ship elsewhere this summer, as everyone has a role on the roster.
However, a running back like Ty Chandler might be expendable after the Jordan Mason trade in March. It’s just unclear whether any team would trade for Chandler if there’s a sense he could be released during roster trimdowns in August.
The same goes for linebacker Brian Asamoah, a 3rd-Rounder from the 2022 NFL Draft whose career mostly involves the bench for defensive snaps and participation on special teams only.
Aside from those two underwhelming trade theories, one might have to get really funky in suggesting a Jordan Addison trade, an idea advanced by some before April’s draft, but unlikely to materialize because, well, Addison is electric.
Kyle Joudry on Brandel’s Status
Kyle Joudry at our Vikings-themed affiliate, PurplePTSD, named Brandel a “break-up candidate” for Minnesota this week, which aligns with the Bleacher Report prediction.
He wrote, “Drafting Donovan Jackson created a problem: the offensive line now has its full five starters, shifting Blake Brandel to a backup job. Of course, the conclusion isn’t ironclad. Brandel, quite possibly, could emerge as the top option at LG1, holding onto the starting spot.”
“The best guess, however, is that Jackson will jump in as the main left guard, something that Kevin O’Connell has openly hinted at.”
Joudry also mentioned tight end Josh Oliver and linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. as eventual break-up candidates.
He concluded on Brandel, “Partner the potential demotion alongside the team’s cap crunch. Mr. Brandel carries a $3,916,666 hit in 2025. Next year, the number goes to $4,166,668. Just hard to envision the Vikings carrying those low/medium hits for a backup given how snug the finances look next offseason.”
“A trade in August wouldn’t be shocking. At the very least, ongoing in employment in 2026 feels unlikely.”
If Brandel were shipped away, the deal would likely go down in August. June and July trades aren’t usually for Minnesota.
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